The health benefits of people from the Mediterranean diet have been studied in numerous studies and it has been concluded that a large part of them are due to the presence of olive oil in this diet model.

However, it is not enough to include olive oil in the diet, since there are a large number of differences between a refined olive oil, a virgin olive oil or an extra virgin olive oil, in the same way, the variety of olive that has been used and the process of making the oil will change its properties.

In this article we will talk about the oil obtained from the Picual olive, being the main variety cultivated in Spain, especially in the region of Andalusia.

The most pronounced characteristics of Picual oil compared to that of other varieties is its bitterness, and if the oil is young, it is also hot. It is also characteristic in it, in the cases in which the oil comes from early harvest, is its variety of herbaceous aromas, such as olive leaf, grass, fig, tomato and tomato.

It is a full-bodied, powerful oil that can be rejected by people not used to consuming olive oil, but with a small amount on a plate it makes its presence known.

Another important characteristic of Picual oil is its high content of oleic acid (monounsaturated), which can exceed 80% of its entire lipid profile. This, together with its low content of polyunsaturated acids, make Picual olive oil one of the most stable olive oils against oxidation and rancidity.

That is why Picual olive oil is the most suitable for use in high temperature cooking, since it maintains its properties in various frying cycles.

Productivity: The Picual olive variety is a variety of early production and high productivity. With support irrigation and performing a suitable formation pruning, the Picual olive tree takes about 5-6 years to produce good harvests.
Aging: It has a good floral induction, an aspect that makes it a variety of olives with little aging. You can intercrop high harvests with half harvests or alternate good harvests if the Picual olive tree has the proper care.
Flowering: Picual is a variety of self-fertile and medium-flowering olives.
Leaf: the leaf of the Picual olive variety is elongated and medium in size.
Diseases: The Picual olive tree tolerates tuberculosis well and is less palatable to the fly than other olive varieties. However, its leaf is sensitive to the repilo fungus and is attacked by Prays and Cochineal pests.
Multiplication: Can be easily multiplied by stake or in nurseries by misting (semi-woody staking). For this reason, olive nurseries can sell Picual seedlings at a good price.

Picual extra virgin olive oil has an acidity concentration of less than 1%, a strong fruity flavor and an intense greenish color.

Like any virgin olive oil, it is obtained exclusively by mechanical cold pressing systems, and in the absence of any application of heat, its properties remain intact.

The nutritional profile of Picual extra virgin olive oil makes this variety one of the best for human health, see below why:
It has a high content of monounsaturated oleic acid: Oleic acid is a type of Omega 9 fatty acid, it is a fatty acid that can be synthesized by our body but is abundant in the Mediterranean diet thanks to the presence of olive oil. The different studies that this fatty acid has been subjected to have shown its important role in the prevention of different cardiovascular diseases.
It has a low content of linoleic acid: Linoleic acid is a type of Omega-6 essential fatty acid that can only be obtained through food since it cannot be synthesized by the human body through other structures. Although it has numerous benefits for human health, when it is incorporated in large quantities it can act as an oxidative agent, that is, it favors the appearance of free radicals, highly unstable substances that damage structures of great importance, such as DNA.
It has a high content of polyphenols: Polyphenols are the antioxidants naturally present in olive oil. Antioxidant substances are capable of counteracting the damage caused by free radicals, therefore they help prevent premature skin aging as well as multiple degenerative diseases. The high polyphenol content of the Picual variety olive oil gives great stability to this oil, which means that its conservation and shelf life are prolonged, and in addition, chemical changes that give rise to negative substances for health are avoided. and that are produced when the oil receives high thermal treatments in the different culinary preparations.